Weekly News: Sep 20, 2013

Friday, September 20, 2013

Is forgiving, forgetting?

After the message I preached a couple of weeks back called ‘Breaking free from bitterness’ I had a couple of people comment, “I know with God’s help I will be able to forgive, but I don’t think I can ever forget!” Without even asking I could sense the underlying question in their comments; “If I am unable to forget does that mean I haven’t forgiven them?” This question often comes as a result of a well-known cliché that says, “Forgive and forget!”

While the Bible tells us to forgive each other, just as God forgives us in Jesus, does this forgiveness mean we should forget? Now it is easy to conclude that we should forget because when speaking of God’s forgiveness to us, the Bible says, ‘He will remember our sins no more.’ (Hebrews 10:17) Does God remembering our sins no more mean that he forgets them? How can an all-knowing God just forget?

Sure an all-powerful God may be able to wipe our sins from his memory but whether he does this or not the most important thing is how God now treats us in regard to those sins he has remembered no more. It means that God will never use our past sins against us. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west so far does he remove our sins from us." When we forgive someone we are choosing to never use those sins against them again. Forgetting may be the result of forgiveness, but it is never the means of forgiveness.

Sometimes forgiving is remembering. If the person who has hurt you has done it ten times in a row forgiving them is a different issue from not letting them do it again. Some people are toxic and dangerous and they are going to abuse, hurt and manipulate again and again. We may need to set up really strong boundaries with that person. We may be able to forgive them but part of dealing with them may mean that we cannot be in the same room with them because of what they have done. Forgiving is not forgetting. It is remembering. We will set them free. We will not have anger or malice but because of what they have done and the ongoing reality that they may do it again, we will need to put in strong boundaries to stop them hurting us again.

Neither does forgiving always mean reconciling. It doesn’t necessarily mean that everything goes back to the way it was before. While forgiveness is crucial for reconciliation, given it takes two to reconcile, you may forgive someone and the relationship may still remain broken.

Forgiveness is one of the hardest things we are called to do as followers of Jesus. However, let’s not make it harder than it needs to be by placing the impossible expectation on ourselves that if we choose to forgive we will also forget. As hard as it is to forgive, we know that if God calls us to it we can confidently look to him each day to live out our choice to forgive.

Pastor Noel

This Sunday at Good Shepherd

This week’s message will be ‘Spiritual Consumerism’ as we continue our series ‘The Barriers to Spiritual Growth’ Podcasts of the message are available at www.paravista.org.au

Bible Readings: Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23. Romans 8:5-14

Kingdom Kids:

This Sunday is our last Kingdom Kids session for the term. We will be looking at the following topics:

· Baby Zone: I see God’s love at Church (from our Gospel Lights Baby Beginnings resource)

· Kindy Zone: ‘King David’ 2 Samuel (from our Kids @ Church resource)

· Kids Zone: ‘God gives victory’ Joshua (from our Kids @ Church resource)

· Kool Zone: Service Event - Part 8 of our 8 week discipleship program Raising up Spiritual Champions

Kool Zone Service Event THIS SUNDAY

This Sunday 22^nd September, Kool Zone will be serving our community after the 10:30am service by providing morning tea, giving shoulder massages and gifts of encouragement AND they will be doing the dishes. Parents of this age group, please support the group by hanging around after church. There will also be cakes and cards for sale by the Cebu Fundraising team, so sit back with a cuppa and something yummy and enjoy some time to fellowship with other members of the church family.

2013 Celebration Service:

We are excited!!! Kingdom Kids will be hosting an all age worship service on Sunday the 1^st December and already plans are being made to pull this event together. We will kick off our preparations on Sunday 20^th October and will spend the entire term rehearsing, learning songs, making costumes and props and so much more in preparation for this special event. Please keep the date free and get ready to be blown away once again by the kids and their incredible creativity and love for Jesus. Please contact Laura Carson if your child is interested in being involved in the drama team that will rehearse during the week during this time.

Playgroup:

Our theme for playgroup this term was “God makes growing things”. On Wednesday we ended the term with a bang at our 2013 Twilight Event. We had lots of fun making our own gardens, using clay and things from our real gardens at home, celebrating all the things God makes through fun games and activities. We feasted on all the yummy food provided by Little Lambs Playgroup and the members of our group, and sang and danced with Chris Jaensch, our special guest for the night. Playgroup will now be on holidays until the start of term 4. Wednesday the 16^th October will be our first week back and the launch of our Christmas program ‘the things we love about Christmas’. 9:30am-11:30am in the church hall. $2 per child or $3 per family. Please bring a piece of fruit to share. All welcome. Please contact Beth Einthal for more info 0438 233 671.

Laura Carson - Children and Family Team Leader

Prayer requests
Prayer requests are not included in the weekly news. If you would like to view the current requests refer to the email that alerted you to this weekly news. If you have a prayer request please email churchequiries@paravista.org.au with your request.

Para Vista Lutheran Women's Fellowship

Next Meeting on Tuesday 1^st October, 1pm in the church hall

Guest Speaker – Barry Klaer

All Welcome

Cebu Fundraising Card and Cupcake Stalls

There will be over 500 new cards for sale including Christmas, male and female birthday, general birthday, verse cards and special birthday cards. Cupcakes will also be available for a gold coin donation.

Vacancies

Aged Care Lay Chaplain

LHI Glynde Residential Care Facility, SA - Full Time

For further details go to: www.lca.org.au/employment-opportunities.html

Project Manager

Australian Lutheran College is seeking to appoint a Project Manager for up to a twelve month period. Please see Church Notice Board for more details.

Notice Board